The songs we sing, the lyrics we live by
by ExellentlyEllen
Summary: A series of unrelated stories, based on some of my favorite songs. Olicity both platonic and romantic.
1. The best stories

_**The songs we sing, the lyrics we live by**_

**So, i was driving the other night, with my ipod plugged in to my radio system. And one of my (currently) favorite songs came on. I decided it would make a great song to base a story on. And then another one came on… So I figured, why not make it a series. Each chapter being a new song.**

**(I mentally patted myself on the back for that idea, that might not be completely original, but still..)**

**This first song though, gets 2 chapters, just because I had 2 stories I wanted to tell… Maybe other songs can get 2 chapters too, but let's start with these okay.**

**As always, your comments are so welcomed, and any and all song requests are greatly appreciated.**

_**Disclaimer: I do not now, nor have I ever owned the characters of arrow, I just like to write about them - song of the first 2 chapters: Finest Hour by Gavin Degraw**_

_**The best stories come from the worst nights**_

Felicity had a bad week. A leak in the upstairs bathroom caused the ceiling to collapse, and she had to find another place to stay for 3 days. Oliver got stabbed (again) on a mission, because she didn't see the guy hiding behind the crates.

Oliver had a bad week, because he got stabbed (again). He and Sara had ended things, mutual decision, because of the excess amount of darkness between them. She had gone to visit her mother for a little while.

Diggle had a bad week. He had a giant fight with Lyla, something to do with her work for ARGUS and the suicide squad.

Oliver decides it's time for a 'team arrow' fieldtrip to boozeville. A night on the town is what they needed most of all.

* * *

She woke up to the sound of her cellphone going off. It felt like a bomb exploding in her head. She tried to move, which caused her head to pound like a ton of bricks landed on it, and her stomach to do backflips. _Not a good idea_ she thought to herself. Oh man.. What happened last night? The last thing she remembers is the VIP lounge of some club (not Verdant, because Oliver said it would be too close to arrow business) and a bottle of tequila. And vodka. And rum, she thought.

After what felt like forever, she figured she could move from her position. Which was cold, now that she thought about it. And hard. She opened one eye, and found she was lying on the little carpet in her bathroom. Right next to the toilet. Okay, that explained the disgusting taste in her mouth, she thought.

Her phone beeped again, getting impatient for not being acknowledged the first time. She moved her arm and felt around until she could finally grab the annoying little machine. Getting herself up (gently, gently) into a sitting position she opened the text. _Hu, it's from Oliver_ she thought as she saw the sender. _How is he already up_ was the second thing she wondered. He'd drunk at least as much as she had. Then again, he'd probably built up a bigger resistance to the stuff ages ago.

Turns out, there were a few pictures attached to the text, which read only 2 words: last night! Oh my god. Those pictures… They really did all that stuff last night? Damn.

There was one picture of her, appearing to be really into dancing with a redheaded girl. Really into! There was one picture of some guy doing body shots off of her bellybutton. No wait, that wasn't some guy, that was… _Oliver_! There was one picture with her dancing with John on top of some car parked by the side of the road. And there was one of them running from a cop who caught them doing the dancing. This was _so so so _bad!

Another chime brought Felicity back to the here and now, albeit with a little more shame displayed on her cheeks. Oliver again. This text read, _do you remember asking that redhead to marry you? 'Cause I've got video!_ OH NO! She was going to kill him for that!

After about half an hour trying to get up, she finally came to a wobbling stance. And after that about 10 more minutes of just standing, to make the room stop spinning. She zombie-walked over to her kitchen, looking for the aspirin and a bottle of water and made her way to her couch. She lay down again.

That's when she noticed her front door. It looked.. like it was kicked in? No way, that wasn't possible! Was it? Oh man, this couldn't get any worse, could it?

Turned out, it could. She scrolled through the pictures again, only just now noticing another picture all the way at the bottom. It was Oliver's really nice Mercedes parked against a trash-container, which in turn looked to be rammed in an electrical cabinet.

At that time, she noticed her purse lying abandoned next to her feet at the end of the couch. She slide-kicked it to her hand and opened it. Out tumbled at least 15 bar napkins, each with a different phone number scribbled across it. And a drink receipt, for, WHAT!, 2000 dollars? What did they do, bought the entire bar a round of drinks? Come to think of it, that might be a distinct possibility, because come on, we were talking about Oliver weren't we. She looked at the receipt again. CENTRAL CITY? They went drinking in Central City? What the flying hell-monkeys?!

She moved on to her side, and flinched. She looked down to find her body full of bluish marks. Bruises? How, what, why? And, as if he was long-distance reading her mind, her phone chimed with another message. It read: _forgot this picture. If I'd known all it took was some girl pinching my ass to get you to fight, I would have let someone ages ago!_ The picture was of her, and some brunette rolling on the floor, pulling hair. Oh my. Can the humiliation just stop, please!?

After a whole day of trying to shake off that god awful hangover, she packed her things and headed down to the foundry. Diggle and Oliver were there, clearly not as jolly fit as usual. HA! Serves them right! She marched over to them, tossed her broken doorknob at their feet, looked Oliver in the eyes and said: "You owe me a new door!" and walked to her desk.

Right then and there, she vowed to never _ever _go out with Oliver Queen and John Diggle, _ever_ again!


	2. Our Fines hour

_**The songs we sing, the lyrics we live by**_

**So, like I said, this song (just because..) gets 2 chapters, because I had 2 different stories in my head for it. **

**This one, same song (Finest Hour by Gavin Degraw), totally different plot. Completely Oliver's POV.  
**

_**Disclaimer: Again, sadly do not own any of the characters, but I wouldn't mind owning Oliver, if you catch my drift ;)**_

**What would happen if our hunky hero's went on… a bachelor party? (In this story, I included Roy, because it would be so sad to only have one guy to go on your bachelor party with, right? And let's face it, Roy looks like a heap of laughs when drunk..)**

* * *

**It really was, our finest hour**

He woke up feeling really uncomfortable. Like, really, really uncomfortable. He opened one eye, only to find, nothing. It was pitch black around him. And for a minute he panicked, but then he heard soft snoring on his right somewhere. When he tried to move, he could feel all sorts of soreness. He felt like he'd been dropkicked down a ravine, which he really had been, once.

His head bounced, like his brains were doing the samba. And his stomach tried to rumba at the same time. Oh right, bachelor party last night. He tried to search his memory, but could only picture the same blackness that surrounded him right now. Hangovers really were the worst. He could take being kicked and stabbed and shot any day, but a hangover was an entirely different kind of hell. A good thing he didn't plan on having another bachelor party, ever.

Thinking the soft snores were coming from his wife to be, he crawled over to the sound. Murmuring good morning in her ear and rubbing his hand on the small of her back, he jumped when he heard _What the hell!_ In a distinctly non female voice. Roy punched his shoulder, sending new waves of pain though is body, from head to toe. Okay, now he was really confused. Where the hell was he anyway, and why was Roy here?

He patted his pockets to find his phone, and flipped on the flashlight. He was lying on a blue mat. That sparked a memory. _The three of them, drunk off their ass coming down to the foundry to go a few rounds._ All of a sudden the foundry was bathed in light, and he heard the sound of heels click-clacking down the stairs. Oh no! He was so done for!

When she came into view, he could immediately see she was trying really hard not to burst out in laughter. Trying and failing miserably. He looked around the room, to see Diggle on his left totally oblivious to the world around him. And Roy to his right, still wearing an angry frown from being woken up like _that_.

He shifted is attention back on his lovely bride to be, trying to focus on what she was saying. Something about drunk dialing and texting photo's. She walked over to the computer and plugged in her phone. Pulling up the file of pictures she clicked them into 'slideshow' mode.

The first one wasn't that bad. Just Digg, Roy and him all dressed up, ready to go out on the town. They got progressively worse after that though. The next few were of him going around the club collecting phone numbers. He had argued about that, there was only one phone number he needed after all, and he knew that by heart. But Roy had insisted, if they were to do the whole bachelor party thing, they had to do it right, and that meant: games. He figured he and Thea had probably come up with them together, seeing as his sister knew how much he hated those.

And there was one picture of him counting his 'winnings' at the bar. He vaguely remembered there being 20-ish numbers.

The following picture he had to blink a few times to understand, it was of him, on his knee, holding a totally unfamiliar girl's hand. And a line of woman behind her, and a few behind him. The ones standing in front of him, all had a very excited look on their faces. The ones behind him, all looked like they might burst into tears. He tried to remember why. Then it dawned on him. The shirt he was wearing. The front said: _Will you marry me?_ And the back had a picture of him also on his knee, holding a ring box in front of his actual fiancée.

There were some pictures of bottles, some of which had very little content left. And selfies. Om my god, did he really take _selfies_ ?

The later the night, the scarier the pictures got. There was one of him and Roy, on top of a car playing air-guitar, with something that looked suspiciously like a mop on his head. There was one of Digg rolling on the ground laughing his ass off. And there was a short movie (taken by Roy, it looked like) of the three of them running away, laughing hysterically, from the angry car owner.

The next one was of his car. Well, one of his cars, wrapped around what looked to be a statue of some sort. A statue in a red hoodie? That couldn't be right. _Oh, OH_ he thought, eyes wide, as it dawned on him that it wasn't a statue at all.

After that he saw a picture of the.. subway? And him appearing to be asleep in one of the seats. Yuck.

The one after the subway looked to be in some dingy bar, with him and Digg playing darts. _Oh, okay, that's not so bad_ he thought by himself. Until he saw a picture of himself, aiming at the electrical box, instead of the dartboard. The next picture was just really dark. Well, good to know that even drunk, his aim was still spot on.

He tried to sit up, without making the foundry spin too much. When he was sitting he saw some paper lying beside him. He picked them up, and suppressed a growl. A good thing he was loaded, because that receipt was high enough to bankrupt a regular person. Judging by the number of shots they did, they had been going for the world record.

He almost missed the last 2 pictures that she was showing him. Digg and Roy and Roy and him fighting each other on the very mats he was sitting on. Well, that explained the soreness and bruises for sure.

He'd heard Roy muttering and laughing under his breath all through the slideshow, especially hard with the final 2 pictures. Oliver snorted at that. Because, let's be honest, even with the Mirakuru in his system there would be no way in hell he could have beaten Oliver when sober.

At the sound of laughter, Diggle shot up, immediately crouching in a defensive stance. His eyes went wide for a minute, taking in his surroundings and he dropped himself back down on the mat. Uttering a few low groans, the pleaded for aspirin and water.

She let out a soft chuckle as she went around the room handing pills and water to both Digg and Roy, before stopping to crouch in front of Oliver. He looked up into those beautiful blue pools and saw the laughter and love shining in them. She placed a hand on his cheek and he leaned into it, amazed by the way her presence and her touch could make him instantly feel better. She rubbed his cheek a little and then got up, leaving him just a little bit colder. As he always was when she was not close enough.

"How about you three take the day, hu. Get yourself together. We've got a rather big day tomorrow, and with the way you all are looking now, you'd ruin my wedding pictures." And with that, she turned on her heels, walked up the stairs and out of the basement.

Oliver sighed and fell backwards on the mat again. His eyes closing, he imagined it being tomorrow. The beginning of the rest of his life. He imagined himself standing under the hoopa in the garden behind his parent's house. The chairs al lined along the center aisle, which was donned in a white carpet and had white and rose petals all over it. And he imagined her, walking towards him, that little grin on her face, her golden hair in loose curls under the veil. And he imagined her 'I do'.

The final image that crossed his mind, right before he drifted off to sleep again, was that of a big bed, them lying in the mitdle of it, gazing in each other's eyes. Blue on blue. Hearts pounding in sync. Him murmuring her name, the way she likes it. _"Felicity…"_

* * *

**I'll leave it at that, I think. Poor Oliver has to recover from that horrible hangover, or he might not even make it under the hoopa. **

**I hope you guys enjoyed reading my 2 versions of 'finest hour' as much as I loved writing them. I've got a few other songs up my sleeve still, don't know if they will show up today or rather in the course of the week, but we'll see. (There will probably be at least one more today though, just because I feel like I'm on a roll). I'm also writing the next chapter to 'not that bad at all' so hit that up to if you like my style!**

**As always, comments down below please!**


	3. In my life

**Just couldn't help myself, this song was just too sweet to ignore for this series. It might be a little more corny than I imagined it at first, not as much humor in it as usual, but I feel good about it. Hope you guys like it to!**

_**Disclaimer: again, not owning any arrow related material, nor the rights to the song this is based on. **_

**Song: In my life by The Beatles.**

**Oliver's POV (again), making a very special speech**

* * *

**No one compares with you**

Oh my god. He had not been this nervous since… well, he can't actually remember ever being this nervous. Ever! This was going to be the biggest, most important day of his life and that included getting rescued off of that damned island. It all seemed so unreal to him now. Like he was on the verge of waking up, but still desperately clinging to the dream.

He felt a little awkward standing there, dressed up in a really nice tux (thank you Thea and your impeccable taste!) with all those people staring up at him. It's not the staring per se that's getting to him (he got used to that a long time ago), but rather the reason why he's standing there. For all the world to see. And truly, it looked like the whole of Starling City had shown up. Standing room only. How many invites had his mother sent out anyway? He looked around, trying to find familiar faces, but they were all blurry. His chest tightened a little, and he started seeing black spots in his periphery. Oh boy, he felt a panic attack coming. Not that he ever experienced one before, but it fit the description he had gotten from Felicity once.

* * *

He felt a hand on his shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze. Looking over his shoulder he saw Diggle standing there. As always, watching his back. Whether it were corrupt business men they needed to punish, drug lords who dealt the most vile of substances or when a psychotic ex-friend tried to destroy all he held dear. And now, this, scaring Oliver even more than all of the above.

He wasn't scared of what he was about to do though. No, the thing he was about to do, was the only thing that had ever really felt right to him. It was a big deal, 'specially for a guy with his reputation and past. But he had changed, he wasn't a foolish man-boy (so not his description, but it unfortunately fit) anymore. And he wasn't that same rough-around-the-edges survivor he'd been when coming back from the island. He'd like to think he had grown. With the help of his loved ones. And even though he had made a lot of mistakes he regretted, he knew with absolute certainty he would never come to regret this.

It really was more the fear of letting people down. Of letting himself down. The fear of not being able to keep the promises he would make. But he also knew he had people around him who would help him keep them, who would even kick his ass if he ever broke them.

He got shook out of his musings when Digg pushed him a little. He saw all the people standing and looking behind them. And then the music started. It was soft, just above a whisper, but it was all it took. His sister appeared at the end of the aisle, holding a bouquet of white forget-me-nots and wearing the biggest smile he's ever seen. Her dress was simple and black, but she looked wonderful in it. As she took her place opposite him, she winked.

Next came a proud AJ, who was holding a white pillow on which lay 2 white-golden bands, one just slightly bigger than the other. He went to sit next to Carly, on the corner of the second row.

And then, the sight he didn't know he'd been waiting for his whole life. He held his breath, and noticed her doing the same thing. He imagined how she was feeling now, with all those people staring at her. She never was one for a big crowd after all. She was looking at her feet, as if to make sure they would start walking, but her gaze slowly traveled upwards. When their eyes locked, the discomfort of being on display all but vanished from her features. Her body relaxed and a genuine smile slid over her face.

She practically raced down the aisle after that, in her eagerness to join him. He repressed a chuckle at the sight, because he was sure that if she caught him laughing, he wouldn't be getting any tonight. And that would be a damn shame. When she came at a standstill beside him, he took her hand an squeezed it gently. His way of saying _hi, I'm glad you're here_ _instead of on a plane far-far away from all this insanity_. Not that he thought she would have left him. No, but as mentioned, his soon-to-be wife wasn't much for big public spectacles.

The rabbi (of course, what else) started the ceremony and before he knew it, she'd spoken her vows to him, and it was his turn. For a moment, his mind drew a blank. But when he looked in her eyes, brimming with unshed tears, glowing with pride and love, he found his bearings. God, she really was his anchor.

He took a deep breath, and began:

_There are places I've remembered, all my life. Some have changed me forever, but not for the better. Some have gone and some have remained. And all these places have their moments. There are people, lovers and friends, some forever gone, I will always love. But of all these places and people, there's only one place, one person that means 'home' to me. There really is no one that compares to you. The memories have faded, making room for new ones, ones I can only hope to make by your side. I'll never forget the places and people that made me who I am. But there is only one that made me the person I was supposed to be. And that's you. I know, without a doubt in my mind, that there is no one I've loved more or ever will again._

_Felicity, If I could give you the moon and the stars, I would. But the only thing that's mine to give, is my heart. So I give it to you, freely and without worries. Because I know you will always keep it safe. You have made me the luckiest man alive today, and I can only try, for the rest of my life, to do the same for you._

And with that, the unshed tears rolled down her cheeks. They moved on to the 'I Do's', the rings, and the breaking of the glass, before walking down the aisle together.

* * *

**Wow, 3 stories in one day (actually half a day since it's only 2 pm were I'm from).. that's a record for me I think… don't really have another song in mind right at this moment, so I don't think there will be another post in this series today. But be sure to check out my other stories to!**

**It was my plan (as it was with the last story) to keep you wondering what Oliver was about to do for as long as possible, and for the person he was actually marrying (also applies for the previous story). How did I do? Did you guys get it straight away?**

**As always, reviews are welcome, as well as ideas for new songs.**


	4. It never really ends

**I got this idea while listening to 'High school never ends' by bowling for soup. I wanted to play off the fact that Oliver probably wouldn't understand Felicity's reluctance in going back to high school. But he would care. **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

He could tell by the way she was stomping down the stairs, she was in a bad mood. He looked at Digg, standing on the opposite side of the training mat. He was ferociously shaking his head, his eyes signaling _stay out of it_. Oliver just shrugged. He took the towel that was lying on the ground and wiped the sweat off his face. Leaving the towel hanging over his shoulder, he casually strolled over to Felicity's desk.

"Something wrong?" He asked her, cocking his head to the side a little. She turned around, and by the look on her face he could tell Digg had been right. He should have stayed on the mat. He had just walked in a minefield, and had made a fatal move. He swallowed and glanced at the door, trying to determine if he could make it out, before she would go off.

"Wrong?" She yelled, "Well, yes Oliver, something _is_ wrong!" Damn, too late. And she was using her Loud Voice. She usually didn't use that unless she was really pissed off. Well, nothing to do about it now, he started this, so he'd have to finish it as well. "Care to share?" He asked silently, trying to put as much soothing in his voice he could muster.

Felicity looked up at him, sighed, and pulled an envelope from her bag. "I got mail." Oliver bit back a chuckle, it would not be in his best interest to laugh right now. "Yes, I can see why that would upset you so much." He said, his voice indicating there was an underlying question to that statement.

"Not the fact that I got mail _Oliver_ but the fact that I got _this_ mail." She waved the envelope in front of his face, and shoved it in his hands. It was one of those thick, fancy envelopes his mother often used to send letters. Felicity's name was printed on the front in one of those curly scripts. He pulled out the paper that was inside and read it.

When he was done, his eyebrows shot up, giving Felicity the most questioningly look he could. "You are upset about this? Why?" Her head shot up, and he immediately knew he'd said the wrong thing, again. Her eyes narrowed at him and she snapped the paper out of his hands.

"Why? Because … Because I… It's…" She let out a frustrated groan and threw her hands up. Shaking her head, she sat down on her chair. "You wouldn't understand. You probably were king in high school. I didn't even go to prom." Oliver looked at his favorite IT tech, with a soft expression. " Why not?" He really didn't get it. Felicity was smart, she was funny, she was beautiful, why on earth would she not want to go to her high school reunion.

"Explain it to me." He said crunching down beside her chair and taking her, now shaking, hands. She looked at him, tears brimming her eyes and when she blinked, they ran down her cheek freely. He lifted is hands, to catch them and she leaned in his hand.

"As you might imagine, I was a little socially awkward in high school. I was geeky and had braces and was generally not popular. They made fun of everything, from my hair, to the clothes I wore , to the books I read and the music I liked. High school was hell for me." She leaned back in her chair.

"But, you're not in high school anymore. It's been 10 years, surely it's different now, people change." She looked at him with a sad smile. "Oh, Oliver, Haven't you figured it out by now? High school _never_ ends! Just look at the gossip page. Who's doing who, who's wearing what. You should know, you practically live on page 6!" With that, she got up out of her chair and made a b-line for the bathroom. He could hear her crying, heartbreaking sobs.

He looked at where Diggle was standing, before this all happened, only to find Digg had disappeared. Coward!

It took Felicity exactly 23 minutes to return from the bathroom. Her eyes all puffed and red. As soon as she came into view, Oliver stood up and pulled her into a hug.

"You should go, show them how successful and beautiful you are. You made it Ms Smoak, and you should be proud of that." Felicity pulled out of his embrace and whispered: "I can't, I can't face them all alone. I know them, they would eat me up and chew me out. And all the outfits and titles in the world won't change that." She sidestepped him, picked up her purse, gave him a sad smile and walked out of the foundry.

An hour later, a knock at her door startled her. She walked over to it and looked through the peep-hole, to find Oliver standing in her hallway. She opened the door and he gave her one of those lopsided grins, he had perfected over the years. She stepped aside to let him in. He walked in, headed straight to her kitchen and came back with 2 spoons and a pint of mint chocolate chip. They sat on the couch together, eating in pleasant silence for a minute. After a while he asked her silently "And what if you did have a date?"

* * *

**Two weeks later**

"You really shouldn't have gone through all this effort Oliver, it's way too much." First there was the first class plane ride across the country; then a hired car service to take them to the hotel and when they got there, she realized he had booked them the presidential suite. "Nothing is too much, for my favorite girl." He said warmly, a lazy smile lighting up his eyes. He crossed the room to her, putting her suitcase on her bed. "I'll be in the other room if you need me." She nodded absently while she looked around the room.

The presidential suite had 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms (with ginormous bathtubs) and a common living space. They arrived early enough to relax a little before the reunion started. Felicity told Oliver she was going to take long warm bath, just to shake off a little of the nerves. Not to mention the plane-smell.

She took her time to get ready. Meticulously applying her make-up and doing her hair. A soft knock on the bathroom door startled her out of her preparations. Pulling her bathrobe a little closer, she opened the door and peeked through the crack. Her gaze was drawn to the floor, where a big white box stood. She picked up the box and, once inside the bathroom, she opened it. Inside was a gorgeous emerald-colored dress and a pair of black strappy sandals, both perfectly her size.

She came out of the bathroom looking stunning and confident. When she spotted Oliver standing by the door in a suit, with a tie that perfectly matched her dress. He gazed at her in amazement, and a red blush spread to her cheeks.

The reunion was just as she expected, high school all over again, but this time, she had prom-king-arm-candy. All of her past tormenters glared daggers at her all night, while she danced and talked an laughed with _Oliver Queen, THE Oliver Queen_. The jealousy pounded in the room, and for once Felicity felt like, well, a prom _queen_.

While softly swaying under the artificial stars, Oliver looked Felicity in the eyes, desire clearly written on his face. He took his hand; from where it was resting on the small of her back; and placed his index finger under her chin gently guiding her lips closer to his.

Their first kiss was really soft and full of promise.

And when they went back up to the hotel room, they had enough with the one bedroom.

* * *

**So, what did you think? **

**You know the drill, drop the comments down below!**


	5. red wine and hotel rooms

**So this story is loosely inspired by a song of P!nk, from her last album (the truth about love). I won't spoil the fun by telling you which one. How about you guys just read it, and drop your guesses in the comments below.**

**The first one to guys to guess right, gets a proverbial cookie of choice in the next chapter! (but I bet you all would pick chocolate-chip )**

* * *

There are few things in life that are worse than a corporate cocktail-party. Sure, there is being shot (which she has been, and has the scar to prove it). Being kidnapped, also not fun (again, speaking from personal experience). Cocktail-parties are however, a completely different kind of torture.

It's not just the boring speeches, or the stiff aloof business people all talking about who earned the most money on something or other. It's not even the looks they give her, for just _being_ there, like her net worth has far too little zeros for her attendance to be appropriate. No, it's the way _he_ forces her to join him on these stupid things, and then proceeds to ignore her the rest of the evening. Until she's had enough of it all and just goes home.

Tonight however, going home isn't really an option, unless she wants to take the red-eye back to Starling. Oh, She just thought of something worse than corporate cocktail-parties. Corporate cocktail-parties _not _being held in Starling City. Which makes the whole 'going home ' bit infinitely harder to do. Sure, she could go to the hotel room she had, but that seemed to her to be just a little too sad. After all, at home, she had a pint of mint chocolate chip in the freezer, and her hotel didn't.

So she stayed. Slightly hopping from one foot to the other, because, why on earth had she chosen these shoes when she knew she'd be standing all night. She decided to get a refill at the bar, because, 2 glasses of wine weren't going to cut it tonight. After taking a big swig from her glass (needing not to taste the exquisite taste of the Bordeaux, but just the alcohol running through her veins), she put her arm on the bar and sighed deep. And then a voice coming from behind startled her.

She turned around to see a cute guy standing there, hazel eyes moving up and down her body appraisingly. She smiled a dazzling smile at him and thought _this night just got a little less torturous._

* * *

She woke to a sunbeam shining in her eyes, and her head pounding like an SOB. The Bordeaux obviously doing better things to her last night than it was this morning. She mentally cursed herself for letting herself get drunk. Well, tipsy. She tried to stretch her arms but stopped when a surge of soreness shot up her body. What the flying hell-monkeys was that about?

As she rubbed her hands over her arms, she tried to think back to last night. _Oh my god_ she thought as the images of the night before flooded her system.

She glanced to her left, so see a naked man lying beside her, softly snoring. He had his head under the pillow, resting on his left arm, his nose tucked in the crook of his elbow. His right hand lying next to his head, in between his and her pillow.

_Oh god, oh god, oh god!_ She started hyperventilating a little, but silently, not to wake up her.. _companion_. She never did this. She wasn't this kind of girl. She didn't do one night stands, _ever!_ She just didn't sleep with guys, at random hotels, in random cities. How could she have let this happen.

Well, the throbbing in her head suggested she had the wine do the talking for her, but still. As silently as humanly possible she slid out of bed. Scanning the room for her clothes, she picked them up and hurried to the bathroom. Once in there she let out a loud sigh. She looked in the mirror and almost screamed. She looked like a bird had tried to nest in her hair. And where on earth did that feather come from?

She slid into her dress, silently thanking whoever was listening that she didn't wear a zipper-dress the other night, because that would have made the humiliation complete. She went through her hair trying to finger-comb out the tangles. Because, this wasn't _her_ room, and she didn't have her brush. No, she'd have to walk down to the elevators (like 8 rooms over, if she remembered correctly), wait for it to arrive, ride it down to her floor and make it to her room (thank god only 2 rooms from the elevator). All in her rumpled dress, with her hair a mess and clearly sporting a hang over. _Oh my._

* * *

She'd never imagined having to do this. She'd heard about other people doing this. Friends of her from college who talked about it like it was a rite of passage. Like you weren't really an adult unless you'd gone through it at least once. Felicity had decided early on she did not want to be an adult if it required you to wake up next to some random dude, and having to slink away in utter silence. It was embarrassing. And awkward. And just plain stupid.

And now, she was doing it herself. She opened the bathroom door, peeking out, to find him still sleeping in the same position as before. She snuck over to the bed, all the while mentally chastising herself for this, and reached for her shoes.

Holding her shoes in her one hand, her shawl in the other, she slipped into the hallway and practically sprinted down the hall to the elevator doors.

_Please, please don't have anybody come out. Don't have anybody in the elevator, don't let anybody see me_ she silently prayed while punching the button. Like it would make the elevator come just a little faster, if she kept pushing it. Finally the elevator dinged and opened, empty. She hurried in, glancing in the direction of the room she'd just exited, to make sure the door was still firmly closed.

It took an insane amount of time to get down to her floor, but she made it. And made it safe in her room before anybody saw her. She jumped in the shower and took an unusually long time in there. Finally giving herself the chance to revel a little in her memories.

Yes, she'd not liked the fact that she'd been a little tipsy. And she'd not liked the fact that she had to sneak out of the room like she did something wrong. But, the night itself. It had been heaven. The way he had touched her, caressed her, murmured her name… She'd never _ever_ felt like that before, and she would never again. This was a one-off thing, never to be repeated again. She would not walk that way again. But the memory, she'd keep close by. To keep her company on the lonely nights. To warm herself on when she was cold.

* * *

The ride home was uncomfortable. She was to lost in her own mind to try and make small talk. She wouldn't be able to stop babbling anyway, and with how she was feeling, she really didn't need the added embarrassment of her improper ramblings.

They went straight to the office, needing to sort a few things out before the weekend really started. She was biting her lip, waiting for her computer to start when she suddenly felt a hand resting on her shoulder. He pressed something soft in her hand, winked at her and said: "You forgot this" before walking into his office and closing the door.

She looked down to see a very familiar piece of clothing in her hands, and her entire face turned a very bright pink.

Safe to say, things got a little more heated and a lot more awkward on the executive level.

* * *

**So, what did you guys think? Can you guess the song? Drop some comments below, and remember, the first one gets a cookie.**

**PS: I'm not sure I'd be a good writer of smut, so I decided to not write it (yet). Maybe in the future, but I'm not sure. **


	6. Checkmate

**Okay, I had promised a cookie to the first person who guessed the song I based the last chapter on. The winner of this cookie was EvelinBarnes. And because it is not practical to send 1 cookie from Belgium to Brazil, she got to pick the song I based this chapter on. **

**I have to admit, it took me a little longer to write it, wasn't totally sure where the story would go. But all in all, I'm pretty pleased with it. I hope you guys and you Evelin, are happy with it. I've already got an idea for the next song, but I might make that a little game as well.**

**So, here's my Olicity version of 'make a move' by Gavin Degraw.**

**Ps: I decided to put in a literal cookie as well, just because it was funny **

* * *

He'd never been addicted to anything in his life. Sure, he'd tried all kinds of different stuff with Tommy for fun. But he never got too far into those things, even in his adolescent ignorance acknowledging the dangers that came with addiction. And after he got back, he just wasn't the same person anymore.

That's why she caught him so off guard. Like she snuck into his mind, set up camp there, and refused to get out. It had started that very first meeting, him showing up with his 'latte' riddled laptop. Her cocking her head to the side, laser-sharp eyes piercing his as if to say _want to try that again?_ He had kept going back. Like a junky looking to get his next fix.

He tried really hard to keep her at bay, but to no avail. She infiltrated every part of his life, both of his lives, and became an essential piece in his world. She didn't just offer some comic relief, with her inappropriate babblings. She didn't just bring the genius to the team. She also brought light and hope and air. And she did all this, without even realizing it. Without him even realizing it. It didn't help that she was incredibly sexy as well. She'd even changed Oliver's definition of what _sexy_ actually meant.

One time, just after he'd gotten back from the island, she'd found him on the floor in the basement, leaning his back against the glass case that held his suit. He was drunk, wallowing, still hurting from Tommy and the Undertaking. She'd shaken him, which had shocked her as much as it had him. She'd told him that life was too short to spend it with regrets. There was no point looking back because the darkness would get the chance to catch up. _Look to the future Oliver, and just do better this time_. He'd blown her off then. But lately he'd been wondering if she might have been right. And when he pictured his future, somehow, she'd always be there. Motivating him to do better.

* * *

It had been a slow couple of weeks on the arrow front, which shouldn't have bothered them, but it did. Like it was the calm before the storm. Felicity insisted on running checks and searches and all sorts of other technical things, so that she would be prepared whenever.  
That meant a lot of nights just waiting for her computers to give her whatever information she needed.

She'd brought in a chessboard one night, as a way to occupy herself in between searches. And she had found a fantastic match in Diggle. He might not look the type, but his chess game was up to par with that of the resident tech genius. He not only loved the game but he also had the tactical insight needed to win.

Oliver on the other hand, wasn't much of a chess-player. Sure, he knew how to play, but the game had always been to slow for him. The build-up taking way too much time, way too much thought. He was more of the shoot-first-think-later type. And that didn't work well while playing chess. Which was why he only played Felicity once. She'd beaten him while simultaneously checking her e-mail, breaking into a federal database and eating a very big, very gooey chocolate cookie. And he went on to punch some dummies. Hard. He didn't mind his partners playing the game though. He rather enjoyed watching their silent fight over board domination.

She'd grown so much since the first day she came down here, the moment she let him turn her into a criminal. She'd been through a lot. Mostly because of her association with him, both as Oliver and as vigilante. She'd chosen to become a more active part of the team, and accepted all the consequences that came with that (even if he hadn't). Even had the gunshot scar to prove it.

He'd once told her it would be better for him not to be with anybody he really cared about because of the life he led. But both she and Diggle had proved, many times over, that it wasn't just the life _he_ led. It was the life they all led. The life they shared. They were linked into each other's lives on every level.

* * *

So one night, while he was hanging from the ceiling, doing upside-down crunches, it hit him like a ton of bricks. He didn't have an excuse anymore not to be with her. He couldn't put her in any more danger then she was already in. And at least if they were together, he'd have a legitimate reason to watch her sleep at night.

But would she agree? Would she even want to be with him, after being brushed off so many times. After Laurel and Isobel and Sara? He dropped down the ceiling, deciding to be better this time. To be better for her, and to have her decide. He wiped the sweat of his brow and went to stand next to her, as she was picking up her stuff to go home.

He put a hand on her shoulder, causing her to jump a little. She turned around, and when she opened her mouth to ask him what was _wrong_ with him, he put his lips on hers. The kiss was a little stiff at first, because he'd caught her completely off guard. But she soon leaned into it, wrapping her arms around his neck. After what seemed like only a second, they broke for air. He gave her a little wink and his trademark grin, and walked into the bathroom.

Felicity was completely baffled. How? What? Why? _What?_ What had just happened? Her mind kept churning and trying to come up with a reasonable explanation as to why Oliver had kissed her. Not that she didn't like it. Oh no, she had liked it a whole lot. Even more than she would like a bottle of 1982 Lafite Rothschild (which he still owed her, by the way).

When she got in the office the next morning, she'd all but decided to either confront him about it, or pretend it hadn't happened. It strongly depended on how strong she was feeling when she saw him.

Only, when she looked in his office, he wasn't there. There was a little box on her desk though. She opened it, and a big grin slid across her face.

Inside the box, lay a beautiful chess piece. It was a jade Queen, with a note that simply said, _your move._

* * *

**You can probably tell that i focused more on the literal lyrics than the sexual undertone that the song represents. I started a milion times over, but just didn't find the way to translate the subtext as well. I hope the ending is enough to satisfy you all for the moment, and of course, you're always free to imagine Felicity's move :)**

**As usual, feel free to drop comments below, I look forward to your input on the stories!**


	7. Spring is in the air

**Just a short little story, Felicity musing about spring and Barry and Oliver… And, stupid cupid!**

**Based on the following lyrics: **_**I wish the couple on the corner would just get a room/seems like everyone around me 's on their honeymoon/I'd love to put a pin in a heartshaped balloon/everybody's got somebody but me.**_

**If you can guess the song and author, there's a cookie in it. Or a muffin? You decide!**

* * *

Felicity loved springtime. Everything just seemed brighter, more alive. She loved the colors of the city in the spring, the trees that grew new leaves, the flowers in the park. She was most definitely a spring-person herself. Her love of color and short skirts was a reflection of that. And she liked sitting in the park, on a bench. Just sitting.

Okay, she wasn't just sitting, she was usually working on something on her tablet. But she was still outdoors, and that counted, didn't it? At least she was outside, instead of in a high-rise, or a basement.

* * *

What she absolutely _hated _about spring though, is that it not only brought out the flowers and the sun. But also _them_! Them, in this case being, the luvy-duvy people she spotted everywhere. It was really annoying. And sometimes very inappropriate. Like that couple on the corner, if his tongue was any deeper in her throat he'd be licking the floor.

Maybe hate was a strong word. And she actually loved the luvy-duvy stuff, when she was the one doing it. But let's face it. Between her extremely long days at QC, and her extremely consuming nightly activities, there wasn't much room to date. The last date she'd gone on, if you could call it a date, was now in a coma in Central City.

She missed Barry. Maybe not exactly in a romantic kind of way, but certainly in the friendly way. He'd make her feel less awkward, because he was a little socially challenged too. She often wished she could talk to him. Even if it was just to say hi. He knew her secret, and that alone made it a lot less hard to maintain a relationship. Never mind the fact that she secretly (or not so secretly, according to John) had a crush on her superhero boss.

She probably wouldn't have noticed everyone being in love around her if she'd not had met Oliver. Because she might have been in the same bubble. After all, she still would be working in IT and still would have had her nights free. But now, being the odd duck out, she felt the loneliness twice as hard.

She had reclined so many offers from friends to go out, they had eventually stopped calling. She was just to tired most of the time, and usually she was half asleep already before her head had hit the pillow. Besides, all her friends had boyfriends, or fiancées or husbands to dance with and cuddle up to and she didn't want to be the fifth wheel.

So yeah, she missed Barry, because even if it hadn't been love at first sight (at least not for her) it could have turned into love eventually. She'd get over Oliver and be happy. On the other hand, it really wasn't fair to Barry if she pretended. Even if it was more for her benefit than his.

* * *

She decided to grab something to eat at Big Belly, because she was hungry. And had a need for comfort food. She walked the 5 blocks over to the fastfood restaurant, and waved a little at Carly, who was serving a family of 4.

She took a seat in their usual booth, Carly already on her way with a soda. The good thing about being on a first name basis with the staff of a restaurant was that they knew your orders. That, and Carly was just an amazing person.

She stared out the window, because she couldn't stomach the sight of a cute couple sitting 2 booths in front of her. She cursed cupid, and the other arrow wielding pain in the butt she knew.

Maybe someone would come in, and their eyes would meet, and it would be there instantly, cupid finally on her side. So she turned to the door, just as somebody walked in.

* * *

She gazed in his deep blue and very familiar eyes and thought _Cupid, I'll clip your wings for this!_

* * *

**Well… who would the blue eyed customer be, I ask? I'll bet you guys know!**

**Drop some comments down below!, And remember the goodies!**


	8. Cellphones and Groceries

**So, because I already had a story in my head for chapter 8, and because I didn't know when KittyKat1984 would claim her cookie (these time differences are a real pain in the butt btw) I went ahead and wrote this little thing first. Leaving chapter 9 free for cookie-grabbing .**

**Want another cookie? For chapter 10? Or maybe a brownie (hold the nuts). Can you guess which country-turned-poppy, ex-boyfriend-hating singer I 'borrowed' lyrics from for this story?**

**Little hint, it's a song from her 4****th**** album, which has a color as title.**

**Good luck! And Happy readings!**

* * *

Felicity glanced at the clock, for what felt like the millionth time that night. Just waiting for an appropriate hour to get out of bed. So, when she read the time on the clock, she decided that six-thirty was as good an hour as any to get up.

She hadn't slept a wink that night. Kept tossing and turning. Acutely aware of the empty spot beside her. It had only been a month since they got together, but they hadn't slept a night apart since. She was a little surprised at how fast her body had gotten used to the weight of his body next to hers. The brush of his feet against hers, and the hand gently rubbing circles on her stomach. It was like her personal brand Xanax, relaxing her into sleep. She'd come to depend on his presence to keep the nightmares at bay.

But they'd had a huge fight last night. He'd gone off doing something completely half-cocked, without Diggle as back-up and without her to guide him. And he'd gotten hurt. Not badly, but still. He didn't see the problem though. And that had hurt her more than anything else. It felt as if he didn't even care that she was worried. He'd brushed her off, saying it was nothing he couldn't handle. And she had flipped out.

He had infuriated her so much, she'd thrown her hands in the air, and her phone had gone flying at his head. He caught it before it hit him (of course) and had put it on the bed, looking slightly shocked. She'd told him to leave, pushed him out of the bedroom and locked the door.

She'd cried a few hours, until her nose was completely stuffed and her eyes were raw of salty tears. She'd sent him away, and she was sorry for that. But she still believed she was right about last night. If he wasn't more careful next time… How long would it take for them to see each other again? For both of them to cool off enough to be able to have a grown-up conversation.

So when she opened the door to the bedroom, it shocked her a little to hear soft snores coming from the living room. _He stayed_ she thought, and her heart did a little skip of happiness. And then her stomach dropped, because he was here, and they would have to talk about last night. And she wasn't prepared yet.

When she saw him lying on the couch, her first thought was how stunning he was while sleeping, his features so much more at peace. The second was _how the hell can he sleep after last night?!_ That bothered her, and not just a little. She'd been up all night replaying the fight, and he was here, snoring and being all relaxed and sleeping.

* * *

She tiptoed over to the kitchen, in desperate need of strong black coffee, and the nerve to wake him up. When she had just passed him, opening the door to the kitchen, he called her name. She turned around to see him sitting up, his eyes looking really sleepy and puffy. Oh, he might not have gotten as much sleep as she thought he did.

She sighed and sat on the coffee-table across from him, closed her eyes for a minute and said: "We should talk about last night, 'cause I've heard somewhere you should never leave a fight unresolved." He picked up her hand and replied: "Okay, but just to be clear, do I need protection-pads for this conversation?" She opened her eyes and a smile slid across her face. Even when she was totally (and rightfully) pissed off at him, he still found ways to make her laugh. Damn him!

She felt her resolve crack, she threw her arms around his neck. "Don't ever let me kick you out again! Stay! Always Stay! It's just that I'm worried when you go out without back-up something will happen to you. I've loved you from afar for so long, and not that I finally have you, it kills me to think you might go again." She stopped to take a breath, holding her finger on his lips, indicating she was not quite ready yet. "Even if you think it's funny when I get mad, which makes me even madder by the way. I just think we are so good for each other, and you should stay. Always!"

Indicating that she was done now, she dropped her hand from his mouth. He cupped her face pressed his lips to hers and murmured _always. And I'm sorry_ against her lips. The words contained so much more than what he was saying. She let out a content sigh, feeling all the stress dissipating wherever his hands brushed over her body. They went back to bed after that. Feeling a pressing need to make up, and eventually catch some sleep too.

* * *

When they finally got out of bed, they were famished. Spending all that time working off calories made a girl really hungry. Except, there was nothing in the fridge, besides some funky smelling milk and a lump of what she thought was cheese, but could really be anything. That's what you get when you rarely spend any time at home and lived off of take-out and energy drinks.

They went out and bought groceries. She couldn't even remember the last time she went to the grocery store, but she was pretty sure it had been before she'd found Oliver bleeding all over her back seat. It's a good thing that she had a very sweet, old and forgetful neighbor, to lend her toilet paper and coffee, or she would've been screwed on a number of occasions.

She was surprised at Oliver's choice of cereal. He'd put the box in the cart and she'd cocked her head and stared at him. All he'd done was shrug and say: "What can I say, they're magically delicious". They went aisle after aisle and before they knew it the cart was stuffed full of stuff. Chances were half of the things they bought would go bad, but whatever.

Sometimes she cursed herself for living on the fourth floor of an apartment building without an elevator. But, not today. Because he was doing all the carrying of the groceries. Another perk of having a boyfriend who did the salmon ladder for fun (besides the awesome view it gave her).

The next time they had a fight and she kicked him out, he didn't move. He let her push him, but she was (obviously) no match for him. He'd wrap his arms around her and pulled her close. They never went to bed angry anymore. And there was always the familiar feel of his hand tracing circles on her stomach. The only way she could fall asleep. Her personal brand of Xanax.

* * *

**Did you guess it yet? Drop your thoughts (about the song and the chapter) down below and I'll be forever grateful! And when I'm grateful, I tend to hand out cookies!.**

* * *

** KittyKat1984; I had thought about having her throw something on purpose, but wanted to keep to the song a little, and I really couldn't see Felicity purposely throw her phone :)**


	9. Waiting rooms and living rooms

**So, this little piece is KittyKat1984's cookie. She picked the subject, I picked the song. It's based on a song by Ed Sheeran, but I dropped the last 2 lyrics of the song, because those are depressing as hell.**

**I hope you guys like it, but leave a comment anyways.!. Chapter 10 will be dedicated to Beckaa182, for the guessing of 'Stay Stay Stay' in the previous chapter.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

He was excited. And slightly nauseous. Okay, make that a lot nauseous. And the smell in this stupid waiting room didn't help. At all.

Their hands were intertwined, which was almost the only thing that kept him in his place. Almost. There was one more reason he was sitting here, feeling all kinds of feelings, and sweating even more than he did while working out in the basement. And that reason was not even a foot tall yet.

It was mostly the thought of him being a _father_ that made him nervous. He'd never really considered himself the dad-type. Felicity on the other hand, would make the absolute best mother ever. She was kind and caring and loving. She was what he would have liked his mother to be. Not that he didn't love Moira, but she'd put him and Thea through so many lies and deceptions, he had lost all trust in her.

While they were sitting in the waiting room, anxiously awaiting their names to be called, his mind drifted to 3 months ago, the day she gave him the biggest and scariest gift ever.

* * *

_He'd been doing his upside-down crunch routine when she came in and stood looked up at him. She had said there would soon be one more person living in Starling City, one more person to protect. He'd panicked and had lost his grip, causing him to drop down onto the mat. He figured she'd meant Barry was coming back, and he didn't like that one bit. _

_Even though he kind of, sort of, maybe trusted the kid a little more, 'specially after the mask and the coma, he still didn't like him. And he didn't like him being too close to Felicity. He didn't want her to realize she'd rather be with somebody more her level of genius._

_When he told her that, she started laughing, because she found his train of thought to be utterly hysterical. And ridiculous. And after that, she gave him a little stick, and looked at him expectantly._

_It was a good thing he was sitting down at that point, because what he saw in his hand, was even scarier than the thought of Barry back in Starling._

* * *

He was shaken out of his musings by Felicity, who had let out a little whimper. Turning to her to see what was wrong, he saw a huge grin on her face. She untangled their hands and placed his on her belly. His eyes turned wide, because he could feel distinct movement in there. He gave Felicity a look of utter love, and put his lips against her stomach.

The then proceeded to talk complete gibberish to her stomach and made her laugh so hard she almost peed herself.

The nurse, Kitty her nametag read, called them in after that, and before he knew it, he had a picture to add to the growing collection in his wallet. And they knew the color to paint the nursery in. This day had started awesome.

He hoped she'd look like Felicity. Blond hair, blue eyes and every bit as fierce as her mother was. He imagined holding her, cradling her in his arms. She'd wrap her fingers round his, and smile at him. With her tiny little hands and feet. And he'd share all he knew (that wasn't too dangerous of course) and protect her and her mother with every breath he had.

* * *

But first, he'd have to tell _his_ mother. And he prayed that would go over better than the last time he had big news to share.

His mother had gone hysterical when he'd introduced Felicity as his girlfriend. She hadn't forgotten the way Felicity had spoken to her about her secret, and had gone and blabbed it to Oliver. But she'd gotten over it (sort of), after Oliver had told her not to push him away again. There was however, no way to predict his mother's reaction to their latest news.

Thea would be excited, because if there was anything she loved more than shopping for herself, it was shopping for a _baby_. She was going to spoil this kid rotten.

Diggle of course knew already. Him being with Felicity for most of their evenings at the foundry. He'd found her head in the toilet on more than one occasion. He'd been happy for them. And he'd been a little jealous for him, because of the nature of her work, Lyla had decided children wouldn't be a good idea. But he would make a fantastic uncle for sure. He was family after all.

* * *

She was fidgeting. Kept pulling up the blouse she was wearing, and smoothing it out a second later. He took her hand in his, rubbing her knuckles saying _it'll be okay, relax, don't worry_ to her as they drove up the driveway to the house. Oh god, he really hoped it would be okay.

They rang the doorbell several times, before Oliver lost his patience and just opened it with his key. His mother knew they were coming anyway. Making their way to the living room, Oliver noticed that the house was uncharacteristically quiet. Usually there would be at least music playing in the living room. He began to wonder if he had actually sent the text telling his mother they would be stopping by.

Motioning Felicity to open the living room door, he pulled out his phone to check his sent messages. Only to drop his phone instantly, upon hearing several voices yelling _surprise_, very _very_ loudly. He poked his head inside the living room and felt his jaw hit the floor.

The inside of the living room looked like a tornado had picked up everything in _babies R us_ and dropped it at the Queen Manor. There was a crib and a rocker, some sort of hanging contraption and god knows what all this stuff really was. His mother and Thea stood in the middle of all the madness, looking very pleased with themselves.

Felicity turned to look at him, surprise clearly displayed on her face. "Oliver.. did you…" she indicated to the living room. After assuring her he had not told his mom or Thea about the baby, nor did he plan this, _whatever_ this was; they turned back to the two Queen women.

Suddenly the door to the kitchen opened and Roy came out, stuffing a piece of cake down his throat. He looked around, swallowed his cake and froze.  
Well, at least now they knew who had blabbed to his family.

* * *

**Well, that Roy and his big mouth. So, I hope you enjoyed Felicity's small bump. I really liked writing it. I even have a follow-up story in mind.. maybe.. If you'll have it.. But that's for a little while later.**

**So I was thinking of making this a 20 chapter piece (because there are just so meany great songs out there) but if you guys think it should be shorter (or longer) be sure to let me know.**

**KittyKat1984, I hope you liked it, and notices the extra wink in there!**


	10. A story of rings and tricks

**So, Beckaa182's cookie is hidden in here somewhere. She got to decide the ring and these are the instructions I got:**

*** Stone: emerald, just to signify his little secret ..  
* cut: super extravagant  
* inscription: something meaningful to them**

**Beckaa182, I hope I did okay, (I googled engagement rings and found one that I figured was something Felicity might like)**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

He'd asked her to marry him 3 times already. And she'd said no each time. Granted, his timing might not have been the best, but still. The first time he'd asked her she'd been in the hospital. Recovering from her latest attempt to out-scar him. She was now up to two.

He'd been so scared and worried and angry, he'd planned to shake some sense into her. But instead he'd dropped to his knees by her bedside and had simply said _marry me_. She'd looked at him, eyes wide and had answered that she didn't want him to say that now, driven by angst and a fear of loss. He'd have to ask again when she wasn't in the hospital. And she'd maybe consider it.

The second time was when they had a little too much to drink at his mother's re-election party. They had been bored senseless, and snuck off with one of the fancy bottles of champagne. They'd been too drunk to remember what her answer had been, but she insisted she would never agree drunkenly.

The last time they'd been really sleepy from a very long, vigilante night. He'd been stroking her head while talking, and just asked her. She'd been asleep already, so she never even heard him. He counted that as a 'no'.

* * *

This time he had an actual ring. He'd caught her staring at one in the store once. They'd been in there to buy a birthday present for Thea, because women today loved their _bling_. Felicity had been wandering around the store and he'd found her gazing at the ring-case. The ring she'd been looking at was a white gold, diamond encrusted one, with 8 flower petals (4 on top of 4) and one diamond in the center. Even though she'd scoffed about the display of wealth and all that; she hadn't been able to hide the longing look in her eyes; and of course he'd noticed.

He had made only one alteration to the design, and that was to replace the diamond in the center, with an emerald. He also had the ring inscribed. One word that would surely put a smile on her face. It was the word that reminded them both best about their very first meeting. And even now, when they even so much as heard the word, they would look at each other and grin a little.

So now, the only thing he needed to do, was find the perfect time to ask her. And the perfect way. He had thought of so many things, but they never seemed to be just right. He didn't want to go too big, because she didn't like to be put on the spot. So that had ruled out gala's, parties and the jumbo-tron (which wasn't all that original anymore either).

He'd thought of just putting the ring in some dessert, maybe have them make a special pint of mint chip, but that had sounded cliché to him too. He'd been thinking about this for weeks, and she was getting a little suspicious of his musings. He could see it in the eyebrow she lifted, when she caught him staring at her through the glass of their office.

At one time, he thought he'd had the perfect idea. He'd get somebody to build a virus and he'd put that on his laptop. She'd have to fix it, when she would do something or other, the words would appear, and he'd be on his knee. But he'd scratched that too, because of two reasons. One, the only person he trusted with that kind off task, was Felicity herself, and that would just be ridiculous. And two, she'd probably kill him right there for even thinking of a virus, let alone a virus on a computer she cared for so well.

He wanted something amazing for her. Something special and wonderful and unique, like she was. But for the life of him, he couldn't figure out the right way. He'd cursed at himself, because the longer he waited, the longer it would be before they actually made it to the aisle. And, given their extra-curricular activities, sooner was in fact better.

So he'd recruited Diggle. After all, the guy had been married before, so he might have a good idea. As is turned out, they had two geniuses in their team.

* * *

Felicity looked questioningly up at Oliver. She envelope she held, was addressed to _Mr Oliver Queen +1_. It should bother her, really, that after 3 years together and all the stupid tabloids they still considered her a '+1'. That didn't mean however, that she wanted to go. Which she expressed to him. Very vocally.

Until he told her it was a mission. The party was being thrown by one of Starling's most influential businessmen. They expected one of the top 10 of Starling to work with Malcom Merlyn, who they had yet to find since learning he lived. So, whenever they got the chance to get close enough to bug one of their suspects, they took it. This being an excellent opportunity. And of course he needed Felicity to hack his computer.

So they went. And she looked gorgeous. The theme of the party had been 'going green' (which was totally ironic if you thought about it..). Mostly it was because Andrew and Rebecka Wyatt were trying to raise money for the rainforest, but still. She'd worn the dress he once got her for her 10 year reunion. He'd been almost sorry they had to leave their apartment when she'd come out of the bathroom.

They mingled a little, trying to be seen by as many guests as possible, before slipping out of the reception hall. They had to make it to Wyatt's office which was 1 floor below the party. While Oliver stood guard at the door, Felicity got to cracking the computer. It had grade A encryption and she was a little impressed by the work. It took her about 30 minutes to crack it and get in. She scanned the drive for something useful, and was completely stumped when there was a video-file that said _Merlyn_.

She called for Oliver, before opening it.

It was black at first, and then Oliver's face appeared on the screen. She turned to him, questioningly but he just pointed to the screen.

_Felicity, I have asked you to marry me a few times before. You always had a reason to say no. I think it's time you quit putting it off. Forever is what lies ahead of us, but I would like to start today rather than tomorrow. Every day I see you I think I can't love you anymore than I already do. And every day you prove me wrong. Because my love for you grows with every breath you take, every smile you give me, and every nervous rant you go on. So consider this me, asking you to marry me, without you being in the hospital, us being drunk, or you being asleep. Please, say yes this time._

When she looked at him, he was on his knee, holding the most ridiculously big ring, the one she'd admired all those months ago. Except it had a green stone in it, which made her smile because, well, it was _green_. Tears ran down her cheeks as she sat there, staring at him, unable to find the words she needed.

When her silence took just a little too long for his comfort, he got worried. She wouldn't say no, would she. He was just about to speak when she threw her arms around his neck, and squealed in his ear. She yes so hard, she looked a little like one of those bobble-head dolls. He let out his breath in relief and gave her the ring, pointing out the inscription that just said _latte_, and smiled at her happiness.

At that point Diggle and Roy entered the room holding a bottle of champagne and 4 glasses. They were toasting the occasion, when Felicity's face suddenly turned concerned. She asked about their mission, the involvement of Andrew Wyatt in the Merlyn case.

Oliver just shook his head. He'd explain her later that Andrew was a childhood friend of his, and he had enlisted the man's help to trick her. He'd told his friend that Felicity loved all things spy-related and that he wanted a really special proposal. He'd gone along with it, remembering the effort he had done when proposing to his wife.

Now the only hard part was to let his mother know he was going to marry the babbling IT-girl turned EA. He had a feeling that wouldn't go over that well.

* * *

**Any thoughts? Let me know!**


	11. Need

**Sorry! Sorry! Sorry! I realize it's been 10 (ten!) days since I did an update on this story. No, you have to believe me, I wasn't cheating on you, I swear. I just needed some time… to figure it out, you know.. **

**In all seriousness, I hit a little inspiration dry-spell and it was not fun. I must have started 7 different stories, just to stop writing after 500 or so words. So, thank you DianaDarling for the inspiration!**

**So, this chapter is for DianaDarling, who prompted the song "Need your love" by SOL feat. Ray Dalton. I didn't know the song, but I like it, and it will surely get a spot on my playlist. I don't know if it's fluffy enough, but I hope I did okay. Please drop your comments down below, and if you have suggestion for me, feel free to PM!**

**Happy easter and Happy readings!**

* * *

His night couldn't have been worse. One of the thugs he was after tonight got the drop on him, and he was pretty sure he cracked a rib before taking him out. Damn, that was going to hurt like an SOB. It didn't improve when he got back to the cave because he'd snapped at Felicity. And although that had happened before, she'd never had a reaction quite like that one.

He'd accused her of not having his back, because she didn't see the guy lurking. And that had been the absolute worst thing he could have ever said to her.

"You can just go to hell Oliver! I've been doing this for over 2 years now, through that stupid list and Merlyn and Slade and Roy and God-knows who else! There has never _ever_ been a day I didn't have your back! I let you turn me into a cyber-criminal, that's how much faith and trust I have in _you_! But if after all that, you can't give me the same courtesy than you can have you man cave back. I'm going HOME!"

And with that, she'd stomped out of the foundry. He'd looked over at Diggle, who was standing there with an incredulous look on his face. Wanting to defend himself he opened his mouth. "I… The thug… and then she…" He had nothing. And he knew it. He'd snapped at her because he was angry at himself. Because he was distracted. Felicity had been talking with Digg about a date in her near future, and that had taken Oliver for a loop.

He didn't want to admit he was jealous. But he was. Extremely jealous. Because needed Felicity, like air, water and food. She kept him honest, or at least as honest as he could be. She was his conscience, because he'd lost his own on the damn island. She called out his bull, and always gave her two cents. Even if Oliver didn't want to hear it. And she loved him. He knew she did.

And he'd always tried to keep her at arms-length. But tonight, hearing about a date, had made him see red. And not see the guy hiding behind the crates. And because he was mad at himself for losing his focus, and because he was mad there was a date, he'd snapped at Felicity. And she left. And now that she was gone, he realized that he'd totally failed to keep distance between them. Because she'd wormed her way into his heart and soul. He felt lighter somehow, when she was near. With him, all the other persona's he had to be, just fell away, leaving just Oliver. And he needed that more than anything else in the world. Needed Felicity.

And with all that musing, he came to realize, this was the part in the romantic movies that always made her cry. He knew this because she liked to sometimes watch movies at the foundry, because "_I'm NEVER home Oliver, and when I can, I'll watch. No matter where I am!"_ It was his turn to make the bold move. To chase after the girl. To get her to come back. But more importantly, to get her, and to keep her with him. For as long as she would let him.

He'd never _ever_ in his life, chased after a girl. Why should he have. They swarmed around him like bees. And if one left, he'd just move on. That was his _thing_. But this, going after Felicity, felt right. Felt honest.

That's why, 50 minutes after Felicity left the foundry, Oliver was at her door. Hand raised to knock, still frantically trying to come up with the right thing to say.

When she opened, she flashed a few looks, before settling on anger. So before she could utter a single word, he put his hand over her mouth, pushed them inside the apartment, and closed the door.

"No, it's my turn to talk. You got your say at the foundry, your turn now to listen." The anger face slipped a little, making way for confusion. She nodded her agreement and crossed her arms over her chest.

She looked amazing. Like always. But a dressed down Felicity was something he'd never seen before. She was wearing old, loose shorts and an oversized MIT sweatshirt and bare feet. Her hair was up in a messy bun and her face was make-up free. She really was a natural beauty.

For a minute, seeing her like that, he had a total black-out. When the anger returned on her face, he shook himself out of his musings and took a deep breath.

"Felicity" He said it in that special way. The way that always made her smile. The way he reserved specially for her name.

"I'm sorry I yelled at you tonight. I was never mad at you. Just at myself. For getting distracted and not being on task. But you were talking about your date next week and I just, sort of lost focus." He exhaled slowly, looked up in her eyes and started talking again.

"I need you. Plain and simple. I need the way you see things because they keep me grounded. I need the way you lighten the mood, with you colors and your babbling and your laugh. I need you more than I let myself admit, but I'm admitting to it now. You see the hero in me, when I can't even see the human. Your faith in me is what gets me out the door every night. But it's also the one thing that makes me come back. Your love and trust an faith in me, is what I need. And I'm tired of fighting it. Felicity, you make me into the man I want to be. And even if I'm not there yet, I will get there, with you."

He stopped there, seeing the tears threatening to spill from her eyes. He put his hand up to her cheek and cupped it. She closed her eyes, tears now falling, and turned into his hand. He brushed the tears away and stepped closer. Tipping her head up and lowering his, their lips met. And it was everything he'd hoped it would be. And so much more.

The kisses grew more frantic and passionate and before he knew it, clothes were making a trail through the living room and into the bedroom.

They didn't stop that night. Broken rib be damned, he'd been through worse. And being with Felicity, made it hurt a lot less. The way her skin felt on his, soft and warm and full of promise. That was the way it should be, it felt absolutely right. He needed her love, tonight and every other night from now on.


	12. My Girl

**I know it's been a while since I posted a new chapter in this story. But I got a prompt from Scotsfangirl, asking me to write one based on one of her favorite songs. So, here's my rendition of '_message to my girl' _by Spit Enz.**

**Scotsfangirl, this is my take, I hope it lives up to your expectations.**

* * *

Oliver had never been one to care much about feelings that were not his own. When he was younger - before the island - the only feeling he was interested in was the one he felt in his loins. He didn't really care about the feelings of others, especially when they revolved around thins like _commitment_ and _fidelity_ and god forbid _love_.

On the island he learned to care, for other people other than himself. And it had only led to heartbreak and bloodshed. So he kept his emotions close to him again. Because it was a weakness other people would take advantage of. It were feelings that got people killed.

After he came back, he tried to keep everybody at bay. Because if he allowed himself to feel for people again, he would get them hurt, and eventually killed. It was what he had learned on the island, and what he knew to be true.

But slowly, people chipped away his resolve. His baby sister, so conflicted and in need of guidance and love. His mother, needing support and understanding, even when the things she did were to awful to deserve them. Laurel, who needed closure and apologies for Sara, who needed to see he had changed.

But he didn't want love in his life, although now it was for very different reasons than it was before the island. That's why he had started something with Helena, McKenna and even Sara. He didn't really love them in the way they deserved. They were just alike in some ways, and that had made it easier to handle the pain.

But if he was completely honest with himself, he did _love_. His sister and mother of course, because they were his family, the only he had left. Even Laurel and Sara, as childhood friends. He had loved Tommy. And again the island rules had come to bite him in the ass. He really loved Tommy, his brother in all the ways that mattered, and he had died. Just like Yao Fei. Just like Shado. Just like the friend he had in Slade.

But the love that scared him the most. Would cause him the most pain if he lost it, was neither of those people. It was the shining star that was Felicity. His girl Wednesday. He had tried time and time again to push her away. Sometimes literally, most times figuratively. If he lost her, he would lose all the light that he found. Because nobody could deny the light Felicity brought into the lives of the people around her.

It was better to stay detached and aloof. Sometimes even breaking her heart, even though it broke his as well. _Because of the life I lead, I just think it's better not to be with somebody I could really care about_. He'd felt like the world's biggest asshole when he said that, seeing he hurt he put on her clearly in those blue eyes. But it was for the best. Because love killed, and he would be damned if he let his love for her be the thing that killed her.

There are times though, especially when they are in the foundry together, Digg nowhere in sight that he can't keep the _want_ at bay. Because he wanted her, with all his being. Times he wants to whisper in her ear, just how much she means to him, how much he wants her. But he doesn't. He just punches the dummies some more, until his hands hurt as much as his heart. Because at least then, he had other pain to focus on.

* * *

He didn't know when it had changed. Was it after Sara had taken off. Before Roy went all super-crazy on them. Or maybe in the aftermath of the mess Slade and Isabel had left him, and his family. Whatever it might have been, Oliver had lost his will to fight. Felicity made him better, and it was time he allowed her to. Time he shook off the grip the island still had on him. Love was not the thing that killed. It was the excuse some people used to justify killing. And that, he came to understand, was an enormous difference.

It was time he told her how he felt, because she deserved it. And he finally believed he deserved it to.

She didn't believe him at first. Wouldn't allow herself to believe it. She'd dreamt of the moment for so long. He'd said it every day for a week, before she decided to _maybe_ believe him. But she had made him work for it. You can't just ignore somebody's feelings for the better part of two years and then expect it to be all forgotten when you finally say 'I love you'. Out of the blue. While on mission. That was just not the way the cookie crumbled.

She had allowed him to take her on a date. And when that went well, and she noticed he was serious about them. He was really trying. They started slow, both trying to figure out how they fit together as more than friends. Making the conscious decision to keep what was happening between themselves, until they figured _it _ out. Whatever _it_ was.

* * *

He still couldn't believe he got to wake up with her every morning. Her head on his chest and his arms wrapped around her waist. She'd gotten him to sleep, really sleep. If she was with him, there was no reason to be worried or panicked, because his most important, most valuable asset, was right there with him, in bed. In _their_ bed.

He tried to show her every day how much she meant to him. And the day they came out as a couple was wonderful. He could share his love with the world. Even though he was scared to death, because Oliver Queen himself had almost as much enemies as 'Green Arrow' did.

And when he finally _really_ made her his, he'd told her that even though he was terrified of what the future would bring, he would never _ever_ take those words back. They needed to be heard, because they were the only truth that really mattered.

He ended his vows with the words he'd always said to her. At first purely as IT, then as a friend, but really always as his soulmate.

_I hid my feelings so long, buried my head in the sand. Ignoring what was so clear in front of me. There is nothing I need more than your eyes, your hands, and your love. And this is my message to you, and the rest of the world. You will _always_ be my girl._

* * *

**You know the drill, I live for the comments you drop down below.  
And please, if you have an idea for a story, a song you love PM me and let me know, because, you all know by now I aim to please!**

**Love, Ellen**


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